Snipped from the PhysOrg.com.

Here is a very cool tidbit of cosmology. Scientists have been theorizing for quite some time that nearly all galaxies contain massive black holes. Recently, they have been able to identify two types — active massive black holes and dormant or non-active black holes. While most galaxies contain the dormant black holes that are neither interesting nor entertaining, active black holes is where it’s all at.

The highest-energy cosmic particles have bewildered scientists for years since they have found no rational reason for their existence. That is until, at least officially, now. They are placing the responsibility on active black holes. The black holes that are ‘eating’ all the matter that is within its grasp inside its own galaxy. While most material is sucked into the black hole and will never see the ‘light of day’, some material gets ripped apart and ’spit’ out because the black hole is trying to consume faster than it physically can.

This material (protons and atomic nuclei) being spit out is what we have been calling the highest-energy cosmic rays.

Here is a small portion of the article:

“We have taken a big step forward in solving the mystery of the nature and origin of the highest-energy cosmic rays, first revealed by French physicist Pierre Auger in 1938,” said Nobel Prize winner James Cronin, of the University of Chicago, who conceived the Pierre Auger Observatory together with Alan Watson of the University of Leeds. “We find the southern hemisphere sky as observed in ultra-high-energy cosmic rays is non-uniform. This is a fundamental discovery. The age of cosmic-ray astronomy has arrived. In the next few years our data will permit us to identify the exact sources of these cosmic rays and how they accelerate these particles.”

Cosmic rays are protons and atomic nuclei that travel across the universe at close to the speed of light. When these particles smash into the upper atmosphere of our planet, they create a cascade of secondary particles called an air shower that can spread across 40 or more square kilometers (15 square miles) as they reach the Earth’s surface.

“This result heralds a new window to the nearby universe and the beginning of cosmic-ray astronomy,” said Watson, a spokesperson of the Pierre Auger Collaboration. “As we collect more and more data, we may look at individual galaxies in a detailed and completely new way. As we had anticipated, our observatory is producing a new image of the universe based on cosmic rays instead of light.”